Spread Your Fire
by Vigotski
Summary: An alternate universe for DBZ. New heroes, new enemies and situations, but also old faces and familiar places.
1. Nova Era

_This fanfic is part of a challenge I made to myself. I'm writing it with the intention to develop my English and to express some of my ideas and love for Dragon Ball. So, you can expected some (a lot, actually) of mistakes and some strange things, not normal to a native speaker. I'll need you guys to write reviews and to help me, this way I'll be able to make some really interesting material!_

_I've been developing these ideas for some years, but only a few months back I started to seriously think about writing them. Dragon Ball Multiverse is very much responsible for that, helping me to see my very different DB story in a plausible way. Also, other fanfics like Bringer of Death and Break Through The Limit play a very important role in my inspiration. In here you'll see many familiar stuff, many references to things I enjoy and some new spice to the old Dragon Ball Z storyline. You can expect some very different things, I'll change just a little bit some of the concepts and I'll explore more some other things. Please, don't get angry if "thing X I love so much" is different here, but please do write a review and comment what you liked and/or disliked._

_There will be a lot of original characters but you can expect to see some old faces around here too._

* * *

Chapter 01: Nova Era

A tournament. A tournament between fighters of many different _universes_. 'There are still so many secrets to unearth...' thought the old Namekian sage. He received an invitation to watch the event, an invitation from the very organizers, the Vargas, a race of humanoid bird-like creatures, inventors of the inter-universal travel. They said the winners would receive the grand prize of three wishes from the magical dragon summoned by the Dragon Balls. 'Surely native Namek Dragon Balls, the ones I created are not so benevolent as those.'

As he entered their spaceship equipped to multiverse travel, he could marvel at the incredibly advanced technology they had. 'Cherry would be amazed.' that thought made him smile. The Vargas said that the entrants, technically, could be people that he met, maybe even his friends, although not the very same people he lived with. Could he be lucky enough to meet again Scallion and Gaius and all the others?

'The Vargas are very far ahead in terms of knowledge! This arena complex is truly remarkable.' he thought as soon as he saw the stadium where the competition would be.

The bowl-like structure was capable of holding many millions of people. He saw hundreds of ships like the one he was traveling landing, with thousands more people arriving and entering the building. There, they would see the "greatest spectacle of the entire cosmos", as the guide was almost screaming for him and the other passengers. Walking on the access ramps to the stadium he saw all sorts of people, and many of them had some of the physical characteristics of his old friends. He even let a audible sigh to come out of his mouth, while remembering many adventures he had many centuries ago. He was no longer a fighter, actually he never was, being a member of the Dragon clan, but in his youth was trained in the martial arts, what helped him overcome many hard times and dangers; he was there to watch the fights and catch a bit of the thrill long lost, that's why he decided to go dressed in his old Dragon School black gi with green belt.

A guide was leading him and the other people who got there in the same ship through the inner corridors of the stadium. One had a giant window, where they could see the planetoid arena, the place where the ccompetitors and all of the spectators were. Due to the immense number of people in the area, he could not feel any ki in particular, but kept vigilance, hoping to catch any familiar sign. They were really lucky as their seats were very easy to get to. It was also very close to the competitors' area, right behind "Universe 18" fighters.

As soon as he sat down, a purple skinned man by his side glanced at him, then looked again, then looked to the figthers down there, then started examining him from head to toe.

"Hey... you're green!" he said.

"Quite a good observer you are, my good man." the sage replied.

"And you look just like that green guy with a turban down there! Look!"

It was true, there was a Namekian with a white turban and cape, dressed in a purple gi and with a very serious look on his face, the look of a warrior. As soon as he looked into the eyes of the warrior, the gaze was returned. Namekians can learn a lot about people just by a quick look and without even saying a word in each other's heads through telepathy, they both felt like they had to talk, so the sage got up and jumped to the U18 area.

"Hey, this area is only for the fighters and their guests!" cried a Vargas in security duty. "He's my guest." replied the warrior.

The other members of that universe all turned their heads to see what was going on. "Hey, it's a Namekian!" said lively a man with spiky hair and dressed in orange.

"Huh, I don't recognize him." said a younger man wearing big prescription glasses.

The Namekian warrior spoke up: "So, you are... Lesmus, right?" "Yes, you are right... Piccolo." replied Lesmus. Piccolo continued: "This is odd; I sense that you are from a completely different universe, but at the same I can sense that you have a lot in common not only with me but with us all. Care to enlighten us? You have a strange... aura, no offense meant." Piccolo said.

"Actually, it's fine. I also find odd that I feel like I know so much about you and your friends here, even though I've never seen any of you in my universe. And, well, how do I start to explain a bit about myself, hmm...?" replied Lesmus as he closed his eyes.

The other warriors got curious to hear the sage's story, so they gathered near him. "So, it all began in-" Lesmus said opening his eyes, but suddenly stopped and said completely amazed when he saw a short man with upright standing hair and a defined widow's peak, dressed in a blue suit: "Vegeta!? So, there is one of you I can say I know quite well!"

All of U18 members almost in a unison exclaimed "What!?" "You know me? Humph... Old man, you have some serious explanations to make. Spit it out!" Vegeta replied.

"I think I need to explain everything while being entertaining at the same time, for I can see in your faces that you're all eager to listen to a good story! Piccolo, may I tap inside your mind, so I can retrieve all possible knowledge about your adventures and be able to tell everything about mine in the best way possible?" With a nod, Piccolo agreed. They both closed their eyes and a very thin white aura emanated from them. Lesmus took a deep breath and stood for some seconds saying "Ah" and "Ooh" every now and again. The auras dissipated and they opened their eyes.

"So, Kami-Sama, although I know you don't like being called that I think is polite to at least acknowledge it." said Lesmus.

"Now you know very well I'm not Kami, even though part of me was before. But, if it's polite to acknowledge this status, may I say it's a pleasure to meet you too... Kami-Sama." Piccolo replied.

"What!? He's Kami-Sama too?" asked a dark skinned boy, that now Lesmus knew his name was Uub, reincarnation of a demon called Majin Buu.

"I'm so used to picture Dende as Kami that I'm a bit shocked too." said the lilac haired man, Trunks.

"Yeah, he's from Namek too, but Lesmus has a different look on his face. He seems to be incredibly wise, something that Dende will need centuries to achieve." said Gohan, the man using glasses that spoke before.

"Well, I had my bicentennial not so many decades ago..." said Lesmus, making everyone even more surprised and curious to listen. "... and after I've seen everything that you passed through I can say this will be even better than what I thought it would be. So, I think I can start my tale in planet Vegeta, or more precisely, in one of planet Vegeta's moons, Orejoram..."

* * *

_So, how's it going? Are you interested to keep on reading? Chapter 02 is out already, I decided to release both at once to build the setting a bit better._

_Don't forget to share your opinion, ok? I'm looking to constantly improve my writing and the story._

_Oh, before I forget: One of my passions is music, but to be more precise, heavy metal music! Yeah, I'm a head banger, but I don't have long hair and I don't walk around full of spikes. So, the thing is: every chapter I'll suggested a song (or songs) that have the same _flavor_ or _atmosphere _of the chapter. For the first one, is something pretty much straightforward, as you'll understand if you listen to it.__  
_

_Suggested song:  
_

_Angra - Nova Era  
_

_Just another thing: I made a blog specially for this fanfic, I plan to post story updates there and links to stuff related (like the suggested songs). If you wanna check it out, it's .com  
_

_Hope you enjoy _Spread Your Fire_  
_


	2. Treasons

Chapter 02 – Treasons

"Orejoram? That moon was a radioactive dump!" said Vegeta.

"Yes, you are correct, but it had a valley that was habitable, surrounded by a wall of mountains that separated it from the rest of the moon." replied Lesmus. He continued: "I have a better idea. The guide that showed me the stadium said that all competitors have private quarters. If it's agreeable, I suggest we go to your quarters and there I can recount my experiences in a more immersive, if a dare say so, way."

The Z Warriors agreed and they all went to U18 designated quarters.

Goten and Trunks took the couch for themselves, while Pan and Uub sat down on the floor. Gohan chose a sturdy wooden chair by the table, and Goku followed, but first turned the chair around while supporting his arms on the chair's back and in front of himself. Bra and Vegeta were standing near the door, prepared to leave if the story got boring. Piccolo stood by Gohan's side and Lesmus stood in front of everyone and said:

"Are you all accommodated? Let's begin." Without waiting for replies his eyes flashed and the room got dark. Suddenly, it was as if they were inside a small invisible globe and the all darkness turned out to be the vastness of space. Many starts appeared and the globe started to spin and to move, as if traveling to a specific point. They entered a galaxy, followed by a solar system and then, there was a planet. Vegeta quickly recognized it as the home of the Saiyans, the planet which he was named after. The globe orbited it for a while when they all saw Orejoram, a bit different from Earth's moon; smaller and green colored. The globe went full speed ahead and was quickly inside the moon's atmosphere, although no heat was generated from the entry. From the sky, they could see a settlement in a valley. The globe slowed down and landed near a very big house with a black and green banner in front of it.

"We are not in past, nor the future, nor even in my universe. Everything you are seeing here is a projection of consciousness, one of the many mysteries I studied in the last centuries. I have not lived everything you will see, but I have learned them from people who experienced them in a very profound way. Please close your eyes now, so the immersion will be able to complete itself, and then reopen them so you will live this and learn from a personal point of view." said the sage.

They closed their eyes and reopened, just like instructed. When the eyes were open again, it was if they were no more in their bodies, but inside all that new experience...

The house's double doors opened and a small group of Saiyan warriors, all wearing black jumpsuits, armored black with green details boots and gloves and chest armors with shoulder braces following the same color pattern, but no scouters and, apparently, no tails, got out of the house.

"Every day I hate even more this green sky. Don't get me wrong, I like the color, but this sky makes me remember all the radioactive trash we're nearby." said Fynnal, the tallest of the group, a much tanned man with a lot of visible scars on his face.

"And nobody in town is awake! I hate this annual inspection and I hate getting up so early!" whined Geeloh, a balding fat Saiyan with a mustache and with an annoyed look on his face.

"Oh, shut up you two. I'm already pissed because that bastard Reglume was chosen to inspect us this year and I want this day to pass as quickly as possible. They come here craving for anything that may seem like we are plotting against the crown and to see if we're still living in misery." replied Aubertine, the only woman in the group, shorter than everyone else, with very unkempt spiky hair.

Slowly, the sun started to rise and life began to appear in the town. Most of the renegades were mutilated, or very old, or people with incurable and terminal diseases. They all had to wear pitch black shirts and pants, made of a very crude material, the clothes that denoted very clearly that they were to be considered animals and less than the other Saiyans. None of them had their tails anymore. Renegades were disposed of everything that represented a true Saiyan.

An old woman, with an atrophied arm, was carrying a basket full of with fruits. She offered apples to the three warriors, which they gladly accepted.

"Green radiation apple, Orejoram' finest delicacy!" ironically said Geeloh "and they aren't even green, but I love the color of my piss after eating them!"

"C'mon, Geeloh! These people here already have terrible lives, working with that trash and harvesting from the poisoned soil, they don't need a smart-ass with a stupid sense of humor to make it even worse! That's why there never has been a Lady Geeloh!" complained Aubertine.

"Hey, Aubertine, you don't need to be so mean!" said Geeloh, faking a sad voice.

"Warriors, elite formation!" a shout came from inside the house.

Another warrior appeared, followed closely by a young man, both wearing the same outfit as the other ones, and two young girls, dressed in very simple green clothes. The man that gave the order was Crithmann, their leader and chief of the renegade settlement. He seemed very strong, had an air of nobility and his look was very stern and serious. The young man by his side was Scallion, his son. They both had the exact same hair, something between a medium and a short length, very spiky, with just a little bit hanging to the side. On the other hand, the girls were completely different from everyone else. They were both red-haired, the youngest with short hair and the oldest with a very wild and wavy big hair. They weren't Saiyans; they were Tuffles, a race almost extinct in the last decades during the planetary wars.

They joined the formation with the other warriors and waited. It was inspection day, once in a year the crown would send someone to see if the renegades were still abiding the rules of exile. Some of the renegades chose to be there, as an alternative to death, penalized usually for a crime, like theft or desertion. But many of them were simply born exiled. Anyone born with a malformation, mental or physical, wasn't considered a true Saiyan warrior, and then was killed or sent to Orejoram. All the renegades had to work on the sanitary landfill, a deposit of toxic and radioactive waste, and just a few of them had the "privilege" of being sent to missions, usually the suicide like. Crithmann and his men were once regarded as top elite in the Royal Saiyan Army, but after _that incident_, they were left in disgrace and valued less than dirt.

"Twelve years since our exile and a dozen comrades lost in the, so called, special missions. You all know what they want. We can't let them have it their own way. We must keep fighting, and you know that one day we'll have our revenge." Crithmann said to his men.

A few seconds later they all saw a spaceship, bearing the royal insignia approaching. It landed with a humming sound and quickly a door opened and a platoon of Saiyan warriors, wearing red and black, colors of the army's Special Forces. The leader, wearing a white cape, followed by a young man that looked just like him, both with red and black armors and red scouters, approached the renegade warriors.

"Ah, my son, here are our most beloved and hated traitors and renegades!" said Reglume to his son. The boy laughed and remarked: "They look even worse than I thought!"

Reglume made his best polite face, but ironically said to the renegade: "Sometimes I wonder if this moon is too harsh for you, but the thought soon escapes, as I have so much to worry about in your-I mean, _my_palace... Ah, so many new planets to conquer, so many men to lead, and you here, with this ragtag group of soldiers. Ha, and only three of them are still alive!".

"Reglume, I know how much you'd like me to punch your face, so you could have a justification to try and kill me, but I won't give you the satisfaction. Just do your inspection and be on your way!" retorted Crithmann.

"Talo, begin!" ordered Reglume to the young man by his side.

"Fine, father." he replied. Cleaning his throat and pressing the button on his scouter, he started: "Let's see... Fynnal. 45 years old, served his entire life at the side of Crithmann and veteran of over a hundred battles. Current power level: 2,650."

"Aubertine, widow of Captain Gettecour, the hero of the Battle of the Rocks and cousin of General Nappa. 39 years old. Current power level: 1,530. And a disgrace to the Saiyan race, if I might add." sneered Talo.

He continued: "Geeloh, the so called 'master of the fork' known for his immense appetite for food and battle. 41 years old, almost lost an arm once. Current power level: 920. Hmph... just a fat weakling."

"Hey, you son of a wh-" Geeloh started but was cut short by a quick and angry glare from Crithmann.

"My son is correct, you are a weakling. He's just 17 years old and his power already exceeds 1000 units." said Reglume. Talo continued his inspection, this time very intrigued by what came next. "What do we have here? Tuffle slaves! Ah, they must be the ones father said Crithmann saved when he disobeyed direct orders from King Vegeta. Let's see... Cherry, 14 years old. Average intelligence and beauty for a Tuffle. She's completely worthless, why would a Saiyan general risk his position to save such a ridiculous creature? And the other one... Dagger... Dagger? A Tuffle with the name of an object? So she must be one of the few warriors from that damned race. 15 years old, and such a puny power level... Hahaha, pathetic! You Tuffles are really nothing compared to us!"

Dagger got very irritated by the humiliation, and clenched her fists, almost ready to attack him, but Cherry intervened and tried to calm her. "Calm down, sister!"

Talo carried on, ignoring the girls and grinning. "And now, Scallion... Scallion, the Renegade, such a fitting title. 17 years old, power level... completely ridiculous. A renegade and a low-level scum. Do you remember when they cut off your tail? I bet it hurt, it hurt a lot! I can imagine you crying, showing to everyone the little trash you are! You're not even worthy of my time." mocked Talo, and after saying that, he spat on Scallion's face. He simply wiped his face and with fury in his eyes, said: "I'll make you pay one day!"

"Just empty threats from a man without honor. My son, I'll take it from here." Reglume said and turned on his scouter, fixing his gaze on Crithmann: "Crithmann, blah blah blah, hero of nothing, traitor of Saiyans and now king of the radiation. Current power level: ...6,250" he said the last part almost mumbling, very angry. Crithmann had more than double of his own power. He thought: 'How can he still be allowed to live? King Vegeta played with his luck for too long; this man was a general and still possesses an immense power! Imagine if he lead a renegade rebellion! Luckily, I have everything already planned for him... and for Vegeta...' He mentally recomposed himself and carried on with the criticism:

"You should be grateful to still be allowed to breathe and to lead all these worthless renegades! And you kept the green color from your banner! You've always said that green is the color of hope, but I bet your hope will fade away in this barren green wasteland! Now my men will finish the inspection, searching the entire settlement."

"So, is that all? You came all the way from Vegeta city only to regurgitate that? I bet you rehearsed that little speech for weeks! You're still nobody! Are my men and I dismissed?" angrily replied Crithmann.

Smirking and with eyes showing satisfaction, Reglume answered: "Just one more thing: You and your men have a new assignment. Lord Frieza himself asked if we could spare a fire team to help in a special mission for the final attack against Kraken's empire. Since it's a mission that we expect, let's say, a high number of casualties, we decided to send some worthless renegades, such as yourselves. You are to present yourselves in planet A25P08R49 in two days and you'll be under orders of Commander Douder." He and his son turned around and went back to the ship, as the rest of the battalion went to inspect the settlement.

"Grrrr... I'll snap his neck, that arrogant little punk!" enraged screamed Geeloh.

"Get a hold of yourself! The general is the one here with more reasons to be angry, but he's already thinking ahead, as always." said Fynnal.

"But Geeloh is right, those bastards must pay! They think that they have any sort of honor, when they are the ones that betrayed our cause and ruined everything!" exclaimed Scallion.

"My son, you need to control yourself. Acting only based on your feelings, specially your rage, you make you just like the ones who did this to us. Do you want to destroy everything we still have?" said Crithmann.

"No, but it's difficult to accept all the humiliation!" replied Scallion.

"I know it's hard, but forget it for now. What we must worry about right now is this new mission. To get to planet A25P08R49 in two days we must leave before noon. Aubertine, Cherry and Dagger prepare our attack pods! Geeloh and Fynnal, check all the materials we'll need! And Scallion, come with me." said Crithmann.

Scallion followed his father inside the house and they went to the briefing room.

"You know how dangerous this will be and you know you'll need to stay here." said Crithmann.

"But that's exactly why you need to take me with you! Don't you always say that the true power of the Saiyans appears when they fight together?" replied Scallion.

His father shook his head, as if saying no: "It's too dangerous, and we can't risk everything, not now! You stay here with the girls and stay vigilant. That's my final word."

"... fine. Darn it! I can never convince you!" Scallion resignedly said.

The preparations were done very quickly. Crithmann notified the villagers that he, Fynnal and Geeloh would be out for some time, so Scallion would be in charge. They entered the attack pods and before closing the doors Crithmann, with a rare smile, said to his son: "Stay sharp. Stay true. Spread your fire." With a nod, Scallion replied: "Spread your fire."

The pod doors closed and the machines started humming, a white glow appeared around them and they quickly ascended and departed to space, in an amazing speed.

* * *

"Lord Frieza, we will reach planet Vegeta in two hours." informed general Zarbon, a blue skinned humanoid alien with white long hair, wearing a purple and goldenrod full battle armor, the same as his companion general Dodoria, and they were both kneeling on one knee behind their master, Lord Frieza, the Emperor of the Universe. Frieza was a small horned alien, with a white and purple skin and wearing a chest plate of the same color pattern as his generals. He was looking through a window, with his arms crossed on his back.

"Excellent. I can feel the excitement already." he giggled. "I bet those stupid monkeys never saw that coming! I will crush my biggest enemy and clean my own house in one big hit!"

* * *

"General Nappa, reporting in." said Nappa, bowing before King Vegeta. Nappa was the general of the Royal Saiyan Army. He was a middle-aged man, about the same age of the king. He used a goatee and had almost no more hair and was very tall and very muscular.

They were in the throne room. It was completely white, with red carpets on the floor and blue curtains on the many windows. There was a stair, circling the throne, coming from the chambers in the upper floor.

"Nappa, I have a mission for you. Frieza himself asked for a fire team to help in the assault against Kraken's own flagship. You'll go with the prince and Reglume's son, Talo. This boy is not very strong, but I bet he can wipe the small trash for you and my son."

"Humph, Talo is a weakling. I think he is the one that'll be wiped in a second." said prince Vegeta, who was descending the stairs. He was just like his father, small and lean, with his black hair firmly standing upwards, with a prominent widow's peak. Their chest armors were white, with yellow shoulder pads and belly shield. White gloves and boots, royal blue full jumpsuit and red scouters. The royal insignia was only on the king's armor and he was wearing a red cape and had a goatee.

"My son, you'll go with Nappa to a direct assault on Kraken. This is your chance to show Frieza how the Saiyans are the most powerful warriors on the universe!"

"I'll destroy Kraken, not for Frieza, and not even for the Saiyans, but for my pride."

Grinning, his father replied. "I've seen each passing day your strength growing. You're becoming everything the king of the Saiyans should be. You'll lead our race to even more glorious times. You may even become the Super Saiyan."

Vegeta looked to the walls and the curtains, crossed his arms, turned his body and finally stared into his father's eyes: "Yes. I will become the Super Saiyan."

* * *

Scallion was in the courtyard, trying to train. He was very good at the Saiyan Elite fighting style, which needed a great deal of effort to master. He took off his shirt and tried to use some of the best moves he knew against the practice dummy, but he could not concentrate, he was thinking about his father. Saiyans usually weren't sentimental, and Scallion was no different, but this time something felt strange.

"They should be getting there by now. By my calculations, considering the new engines of those attack pods and the upgrades I made for the hull, they passed the asteroid ring easily." said Cherry, resting her hand on a pillar, looking at Scallion with concern.

'Cherry is so bright, how couldn't they see?' thought Scallion. He smiled and said to her: "Thanks, Cherry." he sighed. "They will come back. I know that."

"You don't need to lie. I mean, I want them to come back, but I know you're worried. I worry too." she said and smiled, very innocently.

"Thanks for your concern. Let's see if Aubertine needs anything."

"But, your training..."

"I'll finish later."

They went inside the house and found Aubertine in the living room, trying to relax on an armchair. Maybe it was some sort of Saiyan fixation, so everything in the room as black or green or a combination of both colors.

* * *

"Lord Frieza, I am Reglume, the informant-"

"-who sold very valuable information about King Vegeta's plans and wants the throne for himself, giving in exchange eternal loyalty." Frieza interrupted, making Reglume astonished and uneasy.

Frieza was standing in front of a window inside his chambers in his flagship. He was looking at planet Vegeta, seeing both natural satellites, Orejoram, the renegade moon, and Rounace, the moon that only once in a decade reached its full state, unleashing the true power of the Saiyans, the Oozaru transformation.

Kneeling and bowing behind him was Reglume, with his impeccable red and black battle attire. The generals Zarbon and Dodoria were standing near Frieza, both of them using the same purple and dark yellow battle armor as their lord.

"Lo-Lord Frieza, I-I'm just trying to show how the partnership between the Saiyans and your empire has lots of benefices! Let us just remove what's halting our progress and rise even stronger!" Reglume hesitantly continued.

"Strength; Power; that's all that matters, isn't it, Zarbon?" said with a sly smile and looking out of the corner of his eye towards his servant.

"Yes, my lord. Your empire is based upon all the immense power you have and control." faithfully replied Zarbon.

"Dodoria, bring in our other guests." Frieza said, to which Dodoria answered with his harsh voice: "As you wish, Lord Frieza."

"Oh, you may rise, Reglume, I think you'll need to show how bold you are in a few moments." The horned alien said to even more surprised Reglume.

'What does he mean by that-' he thought just as the other guests entered the room. '-WHAT!?'

It was King Vegeta, followed by four of his elite bodyguards. He was  
dressed in a blue jumpsuit, white gloves and boots, white and yellow armor with the royal insignia and a red cape. His hair was very pointy and all the way up, and with a very distinct widow's peak and he had a goatee. His men, since they were members of the elite squad, wore black and yellow, to show their high ranking.

White was the color of the noble houses, a color that Crithmann and Scallion once used, and black was the color of the most powerful members of the army, always combined with another, to indicate ranking and to separate them from the renegades. Crithmann and his men were still allowed to use armors because they were constantly sent on missions and the green color besides black in a sarcastic way, to show them that their hope was futile.

"Frieza, what is the meaning of this urgent meeting? Huh, and what is Reglume doing here?" demanded the king.

"Well, my good King Vegeta, first of all you should remember to address me as 'Lord Frieza' and second, the meaning of this meeting is simple: We are to a see a show!" the emperor replied.

"What!?" both Vegeta and Reglume exclaimed.

"Oh, just what and - ah, here they are!" said Frieza in a more than usually high pitched voice. Dozens of warships were nearing the planet and were clearly visible.

"Frieza, explain yourself! This is treason!" screamed King Vegeta.

"Indeed, it is treason... and as of this moment, your kingdom is no more!" Frieza said, turning around with a very big smile.

The king and his men assumed battle stances, but before they could react, Zarbon and Dodoria quickly dispatched the bodyguards. Surprised, the king got even more furious and exclaimed: "Reglume, help me fight these traitors!"

Frieza interrupted: "Oh, you'll see the show first, only after that you'll fight, and you'll die." Pointing his index to Reglume first and then the king, he drew two small circles in the air, and they were suddenly trapped inside a sphere of a very light yellow energy. The warships were already orbiting the planet and thousands of attack pods were sent to land in planet Vegeta. The king was hopeless, betrayed by one of his men and powerless to repel the invasion.

The Saiyans were caught in surprise. They were formidable in battle, but they were greatly outnumbered. Scrambling to organize any kind of resistance, they could at least minimize losses and start to plan a counter-attack.

"King Vegeta, you know your best men aren't on the planet. You know that I sent them to many missions in the last weeks, and, well... they were sent to their deaths. It's all part of my plan, now they are isolated in distant places and can't call for any kind of help. But don't start crying now, your son, the prince, will be spared, for I have some plans for him."

"You monster! You're a tyrant; a hideous destructor! You'll pay for everything you're doing! You don't know the strength of the Saiyan race! And my son will become the strongest warrior in the universe"

"Oh, I know all of this very well. You may haven't realized yet, but poor Reglume here gave me all the information I need about your armies, the materials you have, your tactics, the projections of your son's power... and your plan to overthrow me..."

Reglume was terrified. When he was caught inside the sphere he thought Frieza would kill him instantly. Now, not only his plans were completely discarded, but 'that fiend and the king want to rip out my heart!'

"Reglume..." said King Vegeta with disdain "I've always known you are scum. You back stabbed Crithmann, not because you were loyal to the crown, but only out of fear. You know what you deserve and what your future is. You'll pay, just as Frieza. The Saiyans are invincible, and you'll all see when the Super Saiyan appears, distilling the fear in your hearts, spreading the fire and bringing death!"

"Oh my!" Frieza started clapping "What a speech, I'm almost in tears!" he screeched the last word. Zarbon and Dodoria also clapped: "Lord Frieza, you have a very sensitive heart. Always seeing beauty in the small things." said Zarbon."

"Yes, Zarbon, in the small things, but now we're almost ready for the big show." he said turning his back to his men and his prisoners, putting both his arms on his back and look through the window, as the warships started bombarding ships trying to flee from the planet and bombarding the planet itself.

* * *

Many shouts and screams; deafening explosions; cries of fear, cries of battle joy and frenzy; sounds of buildings crumbling, ground exploding and people dying. "What's going on?" exclaimed Aubertine. They saw men in battle armors flying outside, firing energy beams at everything that dared to move or breathe. BOOOM, the ceiling exploded. Six aliens were up there, with their arms extended and grinning

"Look what we have here!" one of them said.

"You bastards, I demand an explanation!" Scallion shouted.

"Shut up, you renegade! We're here to wipe out you Saiyan trash!" said the one that looked like the leader of the group. He had a scouter, and pressed the button on the side, but before he could read any power level Scallion appeared in front of him and punched him hard in the stomach.

The quick move scared one of the soldiers: "He's too fast!"

"Gang up on him, you idiots!" said their leader, drooling and with his hand where the punch hit. The five goons advanced all at once on Scallion, but in a fraction of a second, he disappeared in front of them, and reappeared behind the smallest of them, the one that got scared.

"Surprise." He said, with a smile. The soldier turned around showing desperation on his face and before he could say a word, Scallion kicked him in the head, launching him to the ground, and fired an energy wave. He fell dead; his body lying on the ground beside Dagger.

Aubertine already was in the air: "So you little bugs still wanna fight?"

"Boss, what we do?" asked a green-headed four-armed soldier.

"I'll call for reinforcements!" the leader replied, activating his scouter. "I need help in sec-"he got interrupted by another blow, but this time he could at least see the strike. A red blur passed in front of him, it was Dagger.

"What the fu-"another soldier said, but Aubertine with a flying kick sent him to the ground. "Watch your language in front of ladies, punk!" She said, and spat towards him before softly laughed.

The situation was dire to the attackers. One of them was dead, another incapacitated and the renegades were far stronger than they expected. 'But they said there would be only weaklings here! This shouldn't be happening! At least they can't escape.' thought the leader.

From where he was, Scallion could see what was going on. He saw dozens of attack pods in the settlement, and soldiers slaughtering the helpless renegades. Some of them were trying to fight back, but they didn't stand a chance. 'This makes no sense, why are we under attack?' Just as he finished this thought, he saw the battleships bombarding the planet. 'We have to flee, I don't know how, but we have to!'

Their quick stop and hesitation was cut off by a gigantic fire beam that came out of nowhere.

* * *

Three attack pods were rapidly traveling through space, leaving behind countless planets and stars. Their trip had just begun, but they were already very far from Orejoram.

"_Message to Crithmann: land your pods on coordinate x5pt09. Commander Douder orders._" said the onboard computer of Crithmann's attack pod.

"What, already? Well, you all heard it. Let's do this." he said to his companions, through the communicator.

"Perfect, I just needed to take a piss anyway!" was the response from Geeloh's channel.

"General, I have a bad feeling about this." replied Fynnal.

Fynnal's response wasn't unexpected. 'I hate when he says that, we usually end up with one less man.' Crithmann thought. All those years, fighting against all odds on suicidal missions, and they were still alive, somehow. He could only put his faith, or reason, on some kind of mysterious chance they got. They tried to overthrow the tyrannical King Vegeta many years before, but Reglume's betrayal frustrated their plans. Crithmann could at least count himself a bit lucky, since he was seen as a hero; the king couldn't simply kill him and instead exiled him. On Orejoram, he continued gathering resources to his rebellion, which turned into revenge, but it was very hard with all the inspections and missions the crown sent every year. 'Maybe that idea to flee isn't that out of the question.' pondered Crithmann.

The pods approached the place where the coordinate indicated, it was a small yellow planet in a system with two stars. The computed showed all the info about the planet, like its size, estimated population and the average power level of the inhabitants.

"They're so weak, bet I can't even stretch with them!" said Geeloh, while laughing.

The circle shaped space ships initiated the landing sequence, as they tore through the atmosphere, glowing in red light. The computed quickly detected the position of Douder and his men, and showed it to Crithmann. "They're close to that city we just saw to the north." he announced to his men.

The pods landed on the top of some hills, creating huge craters, almost transforming the scenery into a valley. The Saiyans quickly got out and went flying to their destination.

"The gravity here is higher than Orejoram's." noted Fynnal.

"Maybe they wanna test us, see if we're still in shape!" joked Geeloh.

'Yes, probably they want to test us…' thought Crithmann. His face was grim, he didn't like that unplanned stop.

They were quickly reaching the city, and could see smoke rising from destroyed building and a big pile of bodies burning. Five soldiers were down there, certainly the ones that destroyed the place. One of them signaled the Saiyans, and they landed. The tallest of the group, a pinkish, round alien warrior with protruding spikes on his arms and head, bearing the insignia of a commander, spoke up:

"You're late. My men got tired of waiting and distracted themselves with the natives, but we need to know what you Saiyans are really capable of."

"What do you mean?" defensively asked Crithmann, not liking a bit of what he just heard.

"Well… show us what you got!" as Douder said that, his soldier attacked the Saiyans. Two went straight ahead to Crithmann, and the other two, each one, went to Geeloh and Fynnal.

They traded punches and kicks, but the Saiyans where clearly superior, their technique much more refined. Fynnal dodged a direct punch to his face and launched another to his opponent's stomach, taking his breath way. He grabbed the opportunity to kick him to the air, and pursued the soldier, delivering a barrage of punches and kicks. Geeloh was having more difficulty to overcome his opponent, since he was small and quick, but the Saiyan was so much heavier and stronger than him, so any strike that connected dealt massive damage.

Crithmann wasn't up to any sort of game, so he tried to quickly dispatch his foes. After a few blows, it became clear that they were used to fight together, frustrating Crithmann a bit. He parried a high kick, turned around to attack the other one, and then jumped to dodge another attack. He deflected a punch and used a kiai to send his opponent flying. Trying to catch the saiyan off-guard, the first foe fired an energy ball, but Crithmann easily dash behind to dodge.

They were positioned as in a V, and Crithmann had a clear chance to fire at them, so he charged two attacks on both his hands, placing them on each side of his waist: "Take my Double Buster!" he screamed, launching his hands and the attacks forward. Two green energy waves struck directly on the chests, melting their armors and killing them instantly.

Crithmann looked towards Fynnal and saw him finish off his enemy with a rapid succession of hard blows followed by a full power energy bomb. He wiped the sweat out of his forehead and smiled to his general.

Geeloh, fighting in the air, dazed his opponent with a double fisted hammer strike on the top of his head, and then grabbed him by the neck and snapped it, letting the body fall.

"Impressive!" Douder clapped. "But I think it's time to show you how's boss!" he tightened his fists and bumped them on each other.

"This makes no sense! Why you attacked us?" exclaimed a staggered Fynnal. "Yes, explain!" demanded Geeloh.

"I'll only answer with my fists!" Douder growled, and dashed towards Geeloh, the closest to him. He pulled his right hand behind, with a closed fist, and it started to glow with a blue aura.

"Ha! Too predictable!" Geeloh grinned, and crossed his arms in front of his face, to defend himself.

'What a fool!' thought Douder, with satisfaction. 'He fell right into my trap!'

As the round alien got near, Geeloh was ready for the strike, but Douder, with a very quick movement, lowered his head and head-butted the saiyan right in the chest, breaking his guard and surprising him. He gasped for air, and with his spiky arm, Douder punched Geeloh directly in his face.

"Die, you monkey!" growled Douder, as he appeared behind the warrior, and with a quick move, grabbed him and shove his knee right into Geeloh's back, which made a snapping noise.

"Ah, you bastar…" were Geeloh's last words, before he fell with his face on the dirt.

"Geeloh!" cried the astonished saiyans. "We have to fight this monster together, you hear me, Fynnal? Let's avenge our brother!"

They assumed new battle stances, spreading and bending their legs a bit, right fist close to face, with the left more in front of the body, the full stance of the saiyan elite style.

Proud of his previous work, Douder wiped his hands on his pants and snapped his knuckles: "So now we're getting serious, huh? C'mon, hit me with everything you've got!" he challenged.

They went forward in a flash. They traded punches and kicks, with the saiyans using all the best moves they knew. They tried combined attacks, one feigning a move then the other trying to hit the distracted opponent, but Douder still had the upper hand. Some punches connected every now and then, but he parried and dodged most of the attacks, and landed good hits on both warriors.

"We can't keep on like this, we got end this soon!"

"Don't worry, I have a plan. Fynnal, distract him while I prepare an attack!"

Fynnal charged, attacking with everything he got. Douder effortlessly evaded high rights and lefts, and jumped to dodge low kicks. "Why do you even bother, just give up and die!" the alien snarled. He grabbed the saiyan by the green shoulder pads, flipped over him and threw him high, using the momentum. He chased after and took hold of him.

"Your stupid plans won't work! Let's see you escape this one." smiling, Douder hold his grip even tighter.

"General, fire; I won't let him get away!" Fynnal, doing what little movement he could in that position, grabbed Douder arms and shoved his nails into them, what made the alien let off a guttural scream.

With both hand held forward, with a green energy ball charged, Crithmann was reluctant: "Darn it, I can't!"

"Just do it!" cried a furious Fynnal.

His best comrades, his most loyal soldiers, all but Fynnal and Aubertine had gone. 'What kind of rebellion leader am I? I just let them to their demise. And here we are, betrayed once again, at the jaws of death. Ha, and I knew what I coming into. Let's just end this.'

"DO IT, GENERAL!" Fynnal screamed as he flared up his aura, making him and Douder completely inseparable.

Crithmann took a last look at his companion and fired: "Carry on, my dear old friend!"

The blast was deafening.

* * *

_So, what you guys think, huh? Pretty neat or atrociously boring? Am I making a lot of grammatical mistakes? It's been really challenging writing the fights, very hard to describe some of the moves I imagine._

_As I said last chapter, I will constantly suggest songs (mostly heavy metal) that kinda inspired me while writing the chapter or part of it. If you pay attention, you may even see some references to them in the text...  
_

_The suggested songs this time are:  
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_Judas Priest - Tyrant (search for the live version released on "Unleashed In The East")  
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_Gamma Ray - Fight  
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_And don't forget you can always listen to them directly on my blog, .com, just search for this chapter's post.  
_


	3. Prelude to Farewell

_First of all let me thank davidstarlingm and npberryhill for letting me use a very special character from _Bringer of Death_, their super special awesome fanfic!_

_Also, I'm glad to announce that a great friend of mine, who knows English much better than me, is now working as my editor, helping me tweak the chapters! Still, I'm always open to suggestions on how to improve, feel free to make them (and please be kind hahaha)  
_

_I hope the plot starts to make more sense and that it makes you all more excited for the next chapters!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 03 – Prelude to Farewell**

Scallion slowly opened his eyes. His head felt heavy and his vision was blurry, so he shook himself, trying to concentrate. He was lying down a pile of rubble but quickly got up, feeling a bit better. He could see fire, _lots_ of fire. His house was no more, completely destroyed and what was left of it was burning. 'Where's everyone? Darn it!' he thought.

Aubertine was crawling, wounded and bleeding. Scallion saw her and ran to help her.

"Aubertine, can you get up? We have to flee!"

"Of-of course I can get up…" she said, before fainting.

A big explosion was heard, throwing more rubble everywhere.

"Oh no, that smell… They exploded the waste deposit!" Scallion was astonished. With all the waste free to run to the village everything would be lost. If the radioactive waste mixed with every kind of toxic trash that the moon had, there would probably be a gigantic nuclear blast, which would surely destroy the entire moon.

Scallion put Aubertine on his shoulder and carried her to a safe place, or so he thought. 'But where are Dagger and Cherry?'

* * *

"C'mon sister, hurry up!" Cherry, sneaking inside a ventilation shaft, said to her sister who was lagging behind.

"Hold on, you're the one used to all the sneaking to enter the lab! Stupid idea, anyway…" Dagger pouted. They kept on crawling through the shaft for a couple more minutes and then found the entrance to subterranean laboratory/machine room that Crithmann kept. The place was a mess, full of wires hanging from the ceiling, the lights failing, loads of utensils and machines scattered throughout the room, but the main computer was clearly still working, with dozens of lights still flashing.

"Scallion will never find us down here!" Dagger said.

"Of course he will. This is the most logical course of action and, besides, this must be last computer working on this moon, and I just need to trace some of the battleships' data so I can fake a signal that our escape pod will emit, and then we'll be able to pass by them without going kaboom!" said Cherry with a smile, already typing at an amazing speed on the keyboard.

"But what if he's unconscious or if those goons got him?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, he's clearly stronger than most of them… well, not stronger than the one who fired that beam, but I bet he's fine."

* * *

'This way I'll never reach the hangar' – "HAAAA, TAKE THIS" shouted Scallion, hitting a hard punch on one of his pursuers. He was being chased down a narrow corridor, in the underground level of his old house. The hangar was on the other side of a hill, and the only way was through those passages. He was certain that Cherry went to the lab, to make any strange _hacking magic_ she knew, and secure the way to the escape pod was now his priority. He still was carrying Aubertine, but 'Phew, she's finally waking up!'

"Wh-whoa, what's going on?" Aubertine asked, with her hand on her forehead and her eyes still closed.

"Can't you see we're being chased?" angrily replied Scallion.

Aubertine got startled and looked behind them, seeing their chasers closing in. Still, she smiled at the face of danger. "No need to carry me around anymore; just let me teach them a lesson!"

Scallion released her, and Aubertine just spun on the air, making eye contact with the soldiers. She thrust her hands with open palms, facing them.

"Feel the power of a saiyan warrior!"

She launched a barrage of energy blasts, filling the corridor with a cloud of dust with a smell that resembled burned rubber and plastic, probably from the battle armors that the henchmen were wearing.

With a grin on her face, she finally landed, with an unusual grace for someone so badly wounded and bruised as she was. Even though she easily dispatched those soldiers, she was breathing heavily and didn't enjoy a bit when she saw her blood slowly dripping, which made her stop to wipe her face. Scallion had stopped a few steps ahead of her. "Are you sure you're feeling ok?" His concern was genuine; Aubertine had always been like a mother to him since his had died because of Reglume's betrayal. Still, he didn't like the time they were losing standing there. "Let's go, we have to escape!" he said, pointing the way. He ran ahead, and Aubertine lagged behind, limping due to her injuries.

"Maybe I should've carried you again." he said, looking behind. "Just shut up. I don't understand a bit of what's happening, I don't know who fired that beam at us and I'm much less prone to talk in a situation like this!" Aubertine gritted her teeth, trying to concentrate to overcome the pain. She had been in many extreme situations, but that kind of surprise attack, out of the blue, easily got the number one spot.

They reached the end of the corridor and, consequently, the other side of the hill. They were in front of a huge metal door, which sealed the hidden hangar. The only way to open it was by the main computer inside the laboratory where Dagger and Cherry were.

"Can you hear me, Cherry? Open the hangar door!" cupping his hands, Scallion shouted turning to all directions, hoping that he would be heard. He waited a few seconds and shouted again, but he got no response. Trying to vent his frustration, he stomped the ground and kicked some trash that was lying there.

"Calm down, Scallion. Getting angry isn't going to help now." Aubertine now holding her side and with a look of pain in her face, scolded him. "Maybe you should knock - or even better - bash the door, I bet they'll hear you and you'll feel better." she suggested, forcing a smile.

With his back turned to her, Scallion inhaled deeply, did nervous gestures with his hands, as if squishing and pressing with vigor some invisible object, and gave the door a mean look, searching for a way to get calm and recompose himself. "Okay, okay!" was the only thing he could say. He stood in front of the door and readied himself to strike a powerful punch. He pulled his right arm back, clinched his fist and then - "No need to damage the door, I'm about to open it!" came a voice from hidden speakers on the top corners of the room, which, in a way, frustrated Scallion even more, making him sigh, but in the other hand, relieved him very much, changing the bad emotion expressed by that sigh to the good one in a second.

The big locking mechanism on the door had started to move, to change position and to turn. They made all kinds of metallic sounds, from squeaks to low rumbles, ranging from creaks to banging noises. It was very clear that the door was closed for a long time and that it would take some time for it to finally open. Scallion crossed his arms, trying to hold his impatience. "You know that Aubertine is hurt, don't you?" he said, facing the speakers, as if they had ears. "Yes, Dagger already got a first aid kit; we'll help her in no time!" again came Cherry's voice through the speakers, always with that optimistic air.

* * *

Frieza was sitting on his throne, sipping a glass of wine he was holding with one hand and resting his head on the other. He was observing the battle, seeing the bright lights of cities down there exploding, leveling the entire planet. He looked bored and impatient and kept looking towards Zarbon, as if expecting him to say something. His general was very focused on his scouter and seemed to be listening close to a transmission he was receiving. Sometimes he pressed the button once, sometimes twice, and was also getting impatient. Frieza got up and to amuse himself, he decided to speak with his "special guests".

"How are you enjoying your energy spheres? Are they comfortable enough or should I call my servants to bring you anything?" he chuckled.

"You already won and still mock me, Frieza? You're even worse than I imagined!" King Vegeta showed the intergalactic lord his fist and gritted his teeth, but looked weary; still his voice was full of pride.

"Oh, you're still full of comebacks! Not like poor Reglume here, he's so quiet!"

Reglume just looked down. He had given up already; he was just waiting for his death. He was almost in tears and his body was shaking a bit. He fought many times in his life and escaped death in many occasions, but now he was completely helpless. King Vegeta stared at him disgusted and Frieza just laughed; not a warm, good laugh, but instead a cold, dark laugh.

"I'm quite sure it must be very boring standing around like you are now, so I think we should distract ourselves. What if I told you my plans?"

The horned alien said that, opening his arms and before waiting for a reply, took another sip of his glass and started: "It's very simple: I'm not only sweeping you monkeys from the face of the universe, I'm actually consolidating my power and my empire. Remember those rumors about an _unfortunate _accident my father and my dear brother suffered? Well, let's say it wasn't that much of an accident, it was quite a well-executed plan, you see…" He got the saiyan's attention. Was Frieza really the kind of monster that would kill his family, just to gather more power? "But I digress. I've already told you I sent your best men to their deaths, but do you know exactly why I'm invading your planet? I don't want it. Really, I do not care about this rock full of monkey's hair. So, why didn't I just destroy it using my almighty power?"

"… I know why." King Vegeta said. "You said you want to _consolidate_ your power. You're cleaning house. You probably brought your least loyal men here, the ones that could jump ship at any moment, and you plan to kill them along with us."

"Bravo, bravo!" and he slowly clapped, just not to break the glass. "Your brains really are more developed than I thought! You see, I haven't brought only warriors with questionable loyalty, or else I couldn't make an army this big - and how could I sleep thinking that all my men are so prone to betray me - but surely they are going to be the majority of casualties."

Frieza finished his wine and gave the cup to Zarbon. He turned his back to his prisoners to sit again on his throne and started talking.

"The special missions must be finishing by now, I suppose. I almost regret not going myself to finish off that traitor Kraken." He gave a lot of emphasis on the word "traitor".

He had his hand on his chin and was clearly talking to himself and wasn't really paying attention to anyone or anything around him so he kept on speaking:

"He's so presumptuous! We gave him everything he asked for his researches and then he stole our technology and rebelled against us? Father should've never let him work so freely with those asari! But he'll finally get what he deserves after all those years!"

The ruler's speech was only interrupted after Zarbon's scouter beeped. He pressed its button one more time and his face lightened up as he heard the message: "_Phase 1 complete._"

* * *

The big cloud of smoke was slowly dissipating, and Crithmann, still holding his arms in front of him, couldn't distinguish any form inside that blinding curtain. 'Fynnal and Geeloh, you'll be always remembered, remembered like true saiyan warriors, not like those oppressors, but true to their beliefs and their comrades.' He lowered his arms and his head in a sign of reverence and started to fear for the safety of his son and the others who were left behind. 'Could they have planned a double attack? I have to go back right now!'

As he turned around to fly away back to his pod, he heard, or at least thought he heard, some noise coming from the rubble of a building. He looked towards it and saw (or thought he saw) someone hiding.

"Hey, you there!-"

His shout was interrupted by a flying kick on the back of his head. Before he could understand what was happening, a pink blur appeared in front of him and unleashed a furious sequence of blows; hard punches to the gut and the face, kicks that made him even more confused and dazed, jabs that doubled him over. Crithmann didn't even notice when he was thrown to the skies by a powerful hook and sent back to the ground by a double fist strike. While still on air, the saiyan was hit by a barrage of ki blasts, creating a trail of smoke all the way to his ground destination. He fell strangely, making the sound of thump. He didn't break any bones thankfully to his armor, but all the beating damaged it a lot, destroying one of the shoulder pads and cracking almost everything. He got up with difficulty, panting heavily. He faced his attacker and without believing his eyes, exclaimed: "How can you still be alive!? I gave everything – EVERYTHING – in that blast!"

Without replying and just grinning, Douder dashed forward and with his knee hit Crithmann's face, breaking his nose with the hard impact, spilling blood everywhere, painting the saiyan's armor red and knocking him back to the ground.

"Yeah, that attack _hurt_! But you really never had a chance and just did me a favor by killing that pest friend of yours. See the marks of his nails on my arms?"

The pink alien stomped Crithmann's neck, making the saiyan scream in pain. Douder kept on torturing the warrior, kicking his ribs, arms and legs to break them, as retribution for the scathes and excoriations he suffered.

Crithmann fainted on a pool of his own blood, not even feeling the blows he was still receiving. He didn't see the Douder's evil grin and the blast he charged in the palm of his hand. He was engulfed by a strange sensation of peace and quiet, as his consciousness was fading away…

* * *

Vegeta didn't even need to fight seriously to break through the ranks of Kraken's best soldiers. Nappa and Talo were also having no hard times to defeat their opponents. Everything was so easy, maybe way too easy…

When their attack pods suddenly approached Kraken's fleet, the backup Frieza provided did an excellent job, destroying any sort of starfighters that tried to attack the saiyans, so they could reach the flagship of Frieza's biggest rival completely unharmed and very eager to fight. They were "welcomed" by some of the best men the other galactic lord had to offer, but they offered no real challenge to the Prince of All Saiyans. 'How could Frieza be afraid of such weaklings?' Vegeta could only feel disdain for all of the soldier efforts.

The three saiyans reached the ship's bridge, leaving a trail of death, fire, smoke and suffering. All the fighting men were dead or left for dead, and only workers were still with their lord in the bridge. They were all trembling and one of them cried "Save us!" to his master, only to be met with a gelid glare from his sovereign.

Crossing his arms and smirking, Vegeta challenged Kraken, a slender, light purple alien with dark green marks all around his body and long talon-like hands, dressed impeccably with a dark purple robe and a small golden crown, but nothing that could indicate that such a name as Kraken was appropriate to a creature like him.

"So, Kraken, are you ready to meet your maker?" the young prince scorned.

"Well, well, the heir to the Saiyan throne himself wants to joust with me. Couldn't Frieza himself come here and do his dirty work?" responded the alien, with a very soft voice and a defiant tone.

"No, father!" begged an asari girl, grey skinned and with light green horns that resembled the pattern of the marks Kraken had on his face. "You're not ready yet!"

"Hush, little Oniya. My biotic powers are more than enough to destroy these overgrown simians." The purple alien smiled, staring at the eyes of the three saiyans. "Who will have the privilege to die first?" he said with a menacing tone on his voice.

"Humph, as if tricks and magic could hold off the Prince of All Saiyans!-" Vegeta disdained of the natural ability the asari had "-You'll fight me and me alone! And if any of your servants try anything funny or to escape, my two big friends here will make sure it never happens again."

They were facing each other on a corridor, Vegeta with Talo and Nappa behind him, with their backs to the entrance, and Kraken in front of his daughter and surrounded by his men, with their backs to the huge windows showing the bloody scenery of the battle going on out there. The tension inside the bridge was so dense that it would be almost impossible for someone to focus their attention outside, even with all the bright explosions and burning battleships and starfighters. Sound doesn't propagate in space, so you couldn't hear anything, but surely your mind would fill the gap.

Vegeta uncrossed his arms and cracked his knuckles, assuming the battle stance of his house martial arts style, the Royal Saiyan Elite. He raised his left arm above his head, in a defensive position, making a claw with his hand, cocked his right arm into a wide punch and bent his legs, putting the left one in front, with his foot pointing to his opponent. The stance was, at the same time, very intimidating, clearly showing the vast martial expertise its user had, and very challenging, inviting to a brutal and feral battle.

Kraken just stood there motionless; watching; learning. He had an impavid pose, almost theatrical, though his mind was racing; for he knew his powers were still incipient, he had just finished creating a working biotic implant for him, since he couldn't naturally control the mass effect fields, and he still had to cope with all kinds of side effects. To make things worse, he was still learning the techniques the asari used with such grace and ease.

He was trying to see what would be the best way to attack Vegeta. 'If only I had more knowledge!' his scientific mind always craving for something more, something to give him the edge. Frieza had outrun and outdo all his latest plans, reaching the point of having the audacity to surprise attack him in his own flagship. His spies were everywhere, and Kraken's were all bought off or terminated. He knew he had to come up with something extraordinary to turn the tables in the long struggle for the control of the universe.

The fierce warrior rushed with an angry growl, shaking the entire room with his dash. The biotic almost had no time to act, barely having the time to conjure a barrier to protect him from the punch directed to his face. His barrier emitted a bright yellow light at the moment of impact, making Kraken feel grateful for all the hard work he had studying and learning those abilities. Strangely, Vegeta didn't show any frustration for his blocked attack. He seemed to freeze in the air for an instant and as quick as he started to launch a furry of blows on the barrier, trying to destroy it, Kraken changed his calm countenance to an astonished face.

"Have I taken away your breath?" mocked Vegeta; "Don't you have any epic phrase to babble?"

Kraken didn't say a word, just made visible his anger and frustration. He charged something that seemed like electrical energy around his hands, ready to release it as soon as the prince destroyed his protection. The barrier shattered, spreading the same yellow light to all the bridge, blinding however was looking directly at it. That was the cue Kraken needed and he furiously extended his hands to shoot his special bolt. A loud bang was heard, like the sound of a thunder. Kraken grinned with satisfaction and cried "Tremble, simian prince! The True Lord of the Universe brings swift destruction and damnation to whoever opposes him! Taste my Divine Warp!" finishing with an evil laughter.

The light created by the destruction of the barrier and Kraken's special attack slowly faded away, leaving behind an immense silence. Nappa and Talo could see Vegeta's back, and it seemed he was doubled over something, but they couldn't see what. The servants looked frightened, not understanding what they were seeing. It was Oniya who destroyed the tension, screaming at the top of her lungs, totally desperate "AAAAH! IT CAN'T BE!"

Every trace of evil happiness or hope that Kraken had in being successful in this battle completely vanished from his face. Vegeta was holding the warp attack with both of his hands, struggling just a little bit to control them, but still overpowering them without that much of an effort.

"I think these belong to you!" and he returned the attack. Kraken couldn't dodge or defend himself and he was thrown backwards, hitting the ship's control panel, which amplified the power of the shock. His body trembled uncontrollably as sparks of dark energy engulfed him. His daughter tried to help him, but as she got closer the sparks hit her and the bridge computers started to explode, destroying everything and killing everyone near them. The huge windows started to crack, showing that soon they would break and suck everything inside to outer space.

Vegeta turned around and said to his comrades:

"Humph, I guess our work here is done. Let's go."

The saiyans left the bridge walking almost casually, as if they just had a chat inside. Talo was impressed with the prince's power and how quickly and well executed the mission went. He quickly surveyed the destruction they had just caused. To his companions, it was just another mission.

* * *

_So here it ends chapter 03! _

_So, what else could Frieza plan? And what about Kraken and Oniya, is this really the end for them?  
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_And our heroes, the renegade saiyans, are they complety doomed?  
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_It was a great challenge writing this chapter, the fights are really hard to describe without repeating a lot of words and expressions, but I can feel I'm slowly getting the hang of it.  
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_As usual, you can go to my blog, .com to quickly listen to the suggested songs of all chapters. This time I'm suggesting "In The Dark" from Doom II OST. You can leave your chapter reviews right here or on the comment section of the blog.  
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_Oh yes, about post schedule: I'll do my best to post every Saturday (or Sunday), but it can change a bit in the future.  
_


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